The Sandman Cometh
by BlueMoonRain
Summary: Yes, the third chapter is up for anyone interested in reading this little venture.
1. Sins of the Father

Sins of the Father

Title:**The Sandman Cometh**

Author:Rain ([bluemoonrain23@hotmail.com][1])

Disclaimer:I don't 'em unfortunately the characters in the story are the creative property of Cameron and Eglee.

Chapter One:Sins of the Father 

_ _

_ _

_'I may not be able to touch him, but at least I can watch him sleep,'_ Max thought idly as she stood in the doorway of Logan's bedroom.__He was lying, atop the covers dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, the exoskeleton having been abandoned by the bedside.'_He needs a haircut_,' Max mussed as she watched him turn towards her in his sleep.

"Mmmm, hey Max," Logan called out without opening his eyes.

'_Shit, guess he wasn't asleep after all.'_

"What are you doing here so late?" He continued as he sat up in the bed.

"Actually it's early."

"Since when is," Logan paused, reaching for his glasses on the nightstand and glancing at the alarm clock, "four thirty in the morning early?"

"Well, technically it is morning," she replied with a slight grin.

Logan had to smile at that, he always loved her sarcastic humor."So what _are_ you doing here?"

"The truth?" Max asked as she pushed away from the door and carefully approached the bed.

"Please."

"I missed you," she said softly.

"You just saw me four hours ago."

"It's not the same Logan, I _miss _you.It's not fair, I just got back and I can't even touch you," Max ranted as all her feelings started bubbling to the top."You can't imagine what it's like to want to kiss you and hold you, knowing all the while that I can't."

"Actually," Logan began, "I do know.But now, we can suffer together."

"Our lives suck Logan."

"They do right now, but I wouldn't trade a moment of the time we've had together," Logan stated."Now may not be the best time to tell you this Max, but I l—"

"Not now Logan," Max quickly interrupted, "I just can't handle hearing you say it now.It's too soon."

"I thought it was kind of late," Logan replied with a look of sadness.

"No, it's not too late."

"I wish I could hold you in my arms," Logan said as longing filled his eyes with need.

"Me too," Max whispered."How close is Sebastian on the DNA sequencing?"

"He's got you mapped out to the last chromosome.They were right, no junk DNA."Logan explained, "Sebastian just hasn't figured out what you're coded for yet."

"Ah, that's the sixty-four million dollar question, isn't it?What is Max programmed to do?"Max laughed bitterly.

"We'll find out, and we'll deal with it," Logan said softly.

"You don't have to say that Logan.You deserve a shot at a normal life."

"Max—"

"No, Logan," Max interrupted, "let me finish.I see the way Asha looks at you.She's pretty.She has morals and values. She wants to fight the good fight. Now maybe she can't take down a squadron of military personnel or scale a building, but she's normal."

"Since when do I want normal?"Logan questioned

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't hold it against you."

"Asha's not the woman that I love.I'm tired of second-rate relationships," Logan said."I want the real thing.You're the only that I want Max, and I'll wait forever if I have to.I won't settle for second best.I love you."

"Logan—" Max began, but was interrupted by a loud pounding on the door of the apartment.Casting a puzzled look at Logan she mouthed asking him if he was expecting anyone.After a negative reply she stealthily made her way to the door, Logan reaching for the exoskeleton in preparation to follow her.As Max approached the door she looked back down the hallway to see Logan walking quietly up the hall as he loaded the gun.At Logan's nod, she threw open the door.

"Joshua?"Max asked the hooded figure as she saw the distorted hands of the person before her.She motioned Logan to put away the gun, as she drew him into the apartment."How did you find me?"

"Smell," Joshua replied sniffing the air, "cat."

Max grinned, "Like I said, don't hold it against me."Turning back to look at Logan she noticed his puzzled expression."Joshua this is my friend Logan.Logan meet Joshua, he helped me escape."

"It's nice to meet you Joshua," Logan replied feeling a little apprehensive about the nomaly standing before him.

Joshua looked curiously at Logan, and then growled baring his teeth."You left me.Why did you leave me Father?"

"Joshua," Max said stepping between the two of them, "this is _Logan_."

Joshua glanced at Max and then back to Logan, "He looks like Father," sniffs the air, "Smells like Father."

"Logan looks like Father?Like Sandman?" Max asked incredulously.

"Yes, but no age."Joshua answered still looking at Logan warily.

"Max, what's going on?"

"Hang on a sec Logan," she replied without looking at him.She took Joshua by the hand and led him into the kitchen, "Are you hungry?Why don't you find something in there," pointing to the refrigerator, "that you want and I'll go to talk to Logan for a minute, okay?"After watching Joshua for a moment, she returned to Logan, who was still standing in the same place she had left him.

"Who's Sandman?" He asked noticing her return.

"Sandman was the original creator of the X-series.Joshua called him Father.What I want to know is why Joshua thought you were him?"

"That's a good question," Logan said."When I was researching Manticore I never found any references to a Sandman."

Max looked at Logan for a moment, debating on whether or not she should bring it up, but after all curiosity killed the cat, "What did your dad do Logan?"

"He was research and development for a technology company," Logan responded.

"Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie Max?"  
"You wouldn't.I'm just wondering if he lied to you," Max said gently."Think about it Logan, Joshua thinks you look and smell like Sandman.You said yourself, that there was no reference to him in the Manticore databanks."

"No, Dad was many things but not—"

"Not what Logan?" Max asked suddenly defensive."Not into creating genetically engineered killing machines?"

"Max, slow down.That's not what I meant," Logan answered."All I know is what Dad told me.He worked for Hartwell Technologies Incorporated."

"Hartwell," Joshua said mournfully startling Max and Logan with his silent entry, "home."

"Hartwell is home?"Max asked, "You were born in a place called Hartwell?"

"Hartwell, home with Father, with Sandman."

"Okay, Joshua," Max said as she took his hand and gently led him around Logan, into the living room."Why don't you lie down here for a little while, try to get some rest while Logan and I do some investigating."She said in a motherly tone, as she helped him lie down on the couch."We won't leave you, okay?"He nodded his head and closed his eyes.Max stood looking down at him until his breathing evened out and then went to check on Logan in the computer room.

"Dad wouldn't be involved with Manticore," Logan said upon feeling Max's presence in the room."He was a man of principles, he wouldn't get involved with them."

"People do crazy things sometimes Logan, if they have the right incentive," Max replied.

"No, not Dad.I'm sorry Max, I just refuse to believe it," he responded as his screen jumped from page to page of research relating back to Manticore."I can't believe Dad would be messed up in all of this."

Max came up to stand behind him, wary not to get to close to his chair for fear of infecting him again."What is that?Hartwell industries acquired by the Delfry Institute." Max asked pointing at a paragraph on the screen."But Delfry is, or rather was, a subsidiary of Manticore."

"Are you sure?" Logan questioned, "I didn't find any connections between the two before."

"They are," Max answered, "we had specialized classes at Delfry once a week.It was pretty close to the grounds, but then it was destroyed when one of the nomalies torched the place."

"Let me do some background work on these two facilities then, I'll page you when I come up with something viable," Logan said.

"I guess that's my cue to leave, huh?"

"I just need some time alone, okay?"

"Sure Logan," Max said quietly."But can Joshua stay here for a while?I have a feeling he's pretty tired, he probably won't wake up for a while."

"Yeah," Logan answered not looking at her, "he's fine here.Go to work and I'll page you later."

"I'll be back around lunchtime okay?" Max asked before leaving the room."I love you, Logan."

   [1]: mailto:bluemoonrain23@hotmail.com



	2. A Son's Guilt

Author's Notes:  First things first, this story is definitely AU.  I'm trying not to let the show influence me, and to be honest I doubt it will because I haven't watched much of this season.  A big thank you to my beta Lady Callie for putting up with me, and thanks to all of you who actually read my work.  

A Son's Guilt 

The morning hours passed quickly and 8am found Logan diligently pursuing information on Hartwell, Delfry and his father.  There was information in front of him that Logan didn't want to deal with, and some of it he just couldn't handle alone.  He still didn't want to believe that his father was responsible for the genetic creations at Manticore, but Max was right if a man had the incentive he would do anything.

FLASHBACK

            _A young Logan stands in the hallway outside his parent's bedroom listening to the conversation within._

_            "What did the doctor tell you this afternoon?"  He heard his father ask._

_            "The cancer has," his mother sobbed softly, "it's spread.  Chemotherapy and radiation won't buy me anymore time, Jarod.  I'm out of options."_

_            "No, we'll find another treatment.  There's a new drug available in—"_

_            "No, we've already discussed that, I won't allow you to sell yourself to save me," Elena pleaded._

_            "I won't let you die when I know that I can save you.  You have to allow me to do this, if not for you then for Logan.  He deserves a healthy mother."_

_            "Doesn't he also deserve a father?"_

_            "I won't be going anywhere, and they said that I only had to work for them for a little while in return for the drug."  Jarod continued, "I'm willing to sacrifice this part of myself to save you."_

_            "I don't want to lose you."_

            "And I don't want to lose you, which is why I told them I was taking the job," Jarod said.

END FLASHBACK

_Dad definitely had the incentive_, Logan thought bitterly remembering the early parts of his childhood, _Mom was dying of cancer and he was strapped for cash.  _Letting out a sigh of frustration, Logan dropped his head to his hands.

            Joshua had been watching Logan, unnoticed as he worked, and upon seeing the man defeated by his own demons he approached Logan.  "It's all right," he said placing a hand on Logan's shoulder.

            Logan jumped, "Joshua, you surprised me.  I forgot you were still here."

            "Sorry," he said looking down at him, "I'll leave."

            "No, no.  You can stay.  Max'll be back in a while, too."

            "Max left me?"  He asked looking oddly bereft.

            "No," Logan clarified, "she had to go to work.  She'll be back for lunch in a few hours."

            "Left alone with you?"

            "Um, yeah," Logan answered with a hint of uneasiness.

            "Can I tell you a secret?"  Joshua asked, his face suddenly that of a child.

            "Okay."

            "Max loves you.  She told me one night.  She talked about you all the time.  You love her, too.  But you're both scared," he explained, "I can smell the fear on the two of you."

            "We've both been hurt Joshua, it's not easy to let go and move on sometimes," Logan answered honestly, "but we're trying."

            "No more hurt.  Freedom means no more hurt."

            "I guess you're right," Logan said smiling.  "Are you hungry?"  At Joshua's nod, Logan stood up and walked towards the kitchen, "C'mon I'll make us some breakfast, if you're anything like Max I'll have to restock the shelves every few hours."

            After breakfast the two returned to the office and continued researching in companionable silence.  Logan found that Joshua could not only read he had excellent retention skills.

            "Michael Kristoff," Joshua stated suddenly breaking the four hour-long silence.

            "What?" Logan asked looking up from the computer screen.

            "Michael Kristoff, I know that name," Joshua said looking at the file in front of him.  "He worked with Father."

            At the same time Logan said, "He was a friend of my dad's."

            Logan looked at Joshua as a pang of regret and guilt washed over him.  "I'm so sorry for what he did to you Joshua."            

            "He created me, was nice to me."

            "But you didn't deserve to be manipulated like this."

            "This is me," Joshua stated looking at Logan, "I am unique.  Don't feel sorry for me Logan, I don't.  And don't blame yourself for something your father did."

            "Okay, now you sound like Max," Logan said with a laugh.

            "Well, is that a bad thing?" Max asked with a smile as she came into the room.  "What have the two of you turned up this morning?"

            "Well," Logan began, "we have a list of my father's known associates and even bigger list of pseudonyms for Manticore, more so than previous research led me to believe.  Joshua has been a great help, he was able to snag folders and projects from the building—he remembered on of the names."  Logan said as he recalled a past screen on his computer, "Falcor Industries located in the farmlands of Eastern Kentucky in a county called Powell.  A few years ago, Falcor was bought by Intia, which is owned by the Corvay Company, which is a subsidiary of Atla and that is owned by Otra which is a subsidiary of a subsidiary of a subsidiary of Manticore," Logan rushed seeing the look on Max's face.

            "Seems pretty far removed though Logan to be what we're looking for," Max said.

            "That's what I thought, until I found this," Logan continued pulling up a screen, "transport manifest.  Intia has been sending 'experimental products' to Falcor for the past four months."

            "7-2-8-5-9-6-4-3," Joshua said, "a code from one of the folders."

            "A password?"  Max questioned.

            "Worth a shot," Logan replied glancing at Max and then to Joshua.  "Are you positive about the numbers?"

            "Yes, I remember seeing it with the name Falcor written behind it."

            "Okay, let's try this," Logan said as he hacked backed into the mainframe of Falcor and entered the password.  After a few moments the words _Processing_ was quickly proceeded by _Authorized Access_.  "We're in," Logan said staring intently at the massive amounts of data now filling his screen.  From here they could view the inventory manifests of Falcor, the accounting records, the employee database, and somewhere hidden in all of the information was the cure for Max's virus.  And buried under the façade of Falcor and the genetic sequencing, Logan would find the truth about his father.


	3. Dreams of the Father

**Author's Notes:**  I'm back but not for long.  I know my 'Joshua' is off character, but let's pretend otherwise okay?  And if not…  

**Disclaimer:**  No I don't own them because if I did we would be seeing a lot more than some sort of temporary day cure, Max and Logan would have kicked this virus' ass episodes ago.

Dreams of the Father

            'Jamie arrived today.  They found her hiding in a sewer pipeline somewhere south of Las Vegas.  The bastards,' Jarod mused, 'didn't even have the decency to transport any food supplements with her—she was DOA.  My colleagues, and I use the term loosely, are fascinated by the physical manifestations of her genetic makeup.  God, I'll never forget the day I introduced her to Joshua.  The day everything changed.'

FLASHBACK

            "Joshua, come here I want to introduce you to someone," Jarod called to the little boy.

_            Joshua placed the last block on the tower and then trotted to the door to meet Jarod.  "Father, come look at what I've built today," he said as he tried to pull Jarod towards the tower of plastic building blocks.  "I made it look just like the cover on the front of the box you gave to me," Joshua said with excitement as he gazed at the plastic replica of the Space Needle_.  _"Will you really take me there one day, Father?"_

_            "One day, Son, I promise," Jarod said laughing at Joshua's enthusiasm.  "Now come with me for a minute, I want to introduce you to your new sister."_

_            The pair walked quietly down the long corridor of the Delfry/Hartwell facility.  Jarod mused that things were changing all to quickly around them.  New security guards bearing arms were already at every door waiting to check his credentials.  Doctors from around the world were now working on high level cases, too many things were crossing his desk that he didn't even want to begin to understand.  The less he knew about this Project Manticore the better, or so he thought._

_            "She's in here, Joshua," Jarod said as he led the little boy into a small room quite like his own._

_            "Sandman," came the lilting voice from beneath the bed.  "Are you here to tell me my night story?"_

_            "No, Jamie.  I brought you a visitor," Jarod explained, "Won't you come out and say hello to him?"_

_            Slowly the figure of a little girl emerged from under the bed, her features had been distorted to resemble those of white mouse.  "Hello," she said offering a furry paw to Joshua._

END FLASHBACK

            _'That was the beginning of the end for Jarod Cale, and the beginning of Jarod Manchester.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret my decision to join Manticore.  In the end, I still lost Elena and my two sons,' _he thought miserably.  _'I'm certain that Logan was well taken care of after the **accident.**  Valerie always seemed like a nice young woman, I wonder if they ever had any children together?  I only hope he gave up that silly hobby of his.  Writing, he was always wasting his time, I only hope he found something stable.  Jonas was a fool to meddle with the hover drone technology, and then that bastard Eyes Only called Cale Industries onto the platform.  The Cale name was dragged through the mud of every paper around the world because of that son of a bitch,' _he brooded.  _'And now look at what he's doing, exposing Satan himself.  I hope that man has some serious protection.'  _

Jarod stood up and walked to the gurney in the middle of the room to take one final look at Jamie.  He just wanted for an instant to see the little girl, her eyes full of wonder as he read her Sleeping Beauty_._  _'Never again,'_ he thought bitterly gazing down at the bloodied face and mutilated body.  _'I wonder what ever became of Joshua?  Did he hide in the sub-basement like I had told him?  Did they ever find out what he was created for?  And did they find out about the flawed X5 series?  They shouldn't have made it past ten years of age without severe psychological necrosis.  So many questions, and no answers,'_ Jarod growled to the empty room, as he pounded on the door to alert the guard.  

"Dr. Manchester," the guard said as he opened the door, "they're asking for you up in the Green Room.  They got another delivery from Intia today."

"Thanks Linc," Jarod replied glancing back at Jaime's prone figure.

Following Jarod's eyes, Linc looked with disgust upon Jaime, "What a freak!"

"A freak?"

"Look at her.  If Intia hadn't found her, someone else would have and wouldn't have set a hell of a more destructive mousetrap for her."

"The Green Room, right?" Jarod asked, as he began walking up the hallway.

"Yeah, Doc.  See you later."

"Night Linc," he replied without a backward glance.  _'A freak, is that what people think of my children?  I may have created them in the name of science, but nonetheless they were my children.  I can't let this destruction continue.  I have to stop it.'_  Jarod thought grimly as he approached the Green Room.  _'As soon as I can make the arrangements I'll activate the homing signal and call Joshua home to the cabin.  I'll give him the serum, and then initiate the self-destruct sequences in the rest of the X series.  I can't take any more death.'_

With a heavy heart Jarod opened the door to the laboratory and saw that Intia had indeed sent another package, a little boy with a bugle.  

~*~*~*~

            "What a mess that was," Jarod muttered under his breath as he left the Green Room and headed for his office.

            "Jarod, hold up a second," a voice called from behind.  "I need to speak with you for a minute."

            "If you let me get a cup of coffee first," Jarod said masking his pain.  "I've been doing autopsies for 18 hours."

            "About that," Craig began as they head to the kitchen area.  "Agent White has requested your skills in Seattle."

            Jarod stopped mid-pour, "Seattle?"

            "He's tracking a few of the X-series.  He wants your help in demobilizing them.  They want a few live ones to experiment on."

            Letting out an exasperated sigh Jarod replied, "When do I have to leave?"  _This is perfect timing.  The antiserum is almost complete.  All I have to do is figure out how to disappear once I land in Seattle.  Then I can head back to the old lab.  Lydecker never reported finding the entrance. So hopefully everything is still intact._

"You leave in three days.  Should give you enough time to explain your findings of the rat girl and the bugler to the subcommittee."

            "Not a problem Craig."  _Three days to pack and plan on getting Joshua to the lab.  Three days to perfect the signal needed to terminate thirty years of research_

*****You wanted a new chapter right?  This has been on my disk for well over two months.  Sorry it's short and long overdue, but school is rough and family life is harder right now that it was.  I hope this will tide y'all over for a little while.  


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